Chapter 4 — Cracks in the Facade

Y/n

The tension in the room is stifling, clinging to my skin like the too-warm air beneath the unforgiving studio lights. The director’s voice slices through the low murmur of the crew, sharp and commanding. “From the top! Again!”

I swallow hard and step back into position, trying to steady the shaking in my hands. My damp palms smudge the edges of my script, and I force myself to keep from wringing it. Across from me stands Samuel, arms crossed, his face shadowed by that maddening curl of dark hair that looks artfully disheveled. His expression is unreadable, but there’s a flicker of something in his piercing blue eyes—a challenge that makes my stomach knot.